Career
How to negotiate a job offer (beyond just salary)
Most people think job offer negotiation means salary negotiation. It doesn't. A job offer has many components — and you can negotiate most of them. Here's how.
What can you actually negotiate?
Almost everything in a job offer is potentially negotiable. Common items people overlook:
- Salary — the obvious one
- Holiday entitlement — often 25 days standard, sometimes moveable to 28–30
- Remote / hybrid working arrangement — how many days in office
- Start date — if you need more time for your current notice period
- Signing bonus — to compensate for leaving a bonus behind at your current job
- Salary review date — "6 months rather than 12" is a legitimate ask
- Equipment — laptop, phone, home office allowance
- Professional development budget
- Pension contribution
The right sequence
- Receive the offer — express genuine enthusiasm immediately
- Ask for time — "Thank you so much — I'd love to take 24–48 hours to consider the full package"
- Evaluate everything, not just salary
- Come back with a clear, specific counter-proposal
💡 Never negotiate in the same conversation as the offer. Even if the offer is perfect, take the time. It signals that you evaluate decisions carefully — which is a quality they just hired you for.
Scripts for common negotiation asks
Salary
✓ Script
"I'm really excited about this role and I'd love to make it work. Based on my research and my experience level, I was hoping we could get to £[X]. Is there flexibility there?"
Additional holiday
✓ Script
"I noticed the offer is 25 days. I'm currently on 28 — would it be possible to match that? I'm very flexible on other aspects."
Signing bonus (when leaving a bonus behind)
✓ Script
"I'm in line to receive a performance bonus in March — approximately £[X]. Would you be open to a signing bonus to help bridge that gap? I want to make this work."
Remote working
✓ Script
"The role says three days in office. I work best with a bit more flexibility — would two days in and three remote be possible, at least initially?"
When they say no
Ask: "Is there another element of the package where there's more flexibility?" This keeps the conversation open and often unlocks movement elsewhere even when salary is fixed.
Get your CV updated before negotiating
Make sure your CV accurately reflects your value before any offer conversation.
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